Internal-combustion engine



March 6, 1945. E. WORKMAN INTERNAL-COMBUSTlON ENGINE Filed May 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR FsAU WORK/TAN BY A TTORNE Y March 6, 1945. E. WORKMAN 2,370,902

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 11v VENTOR ESA. U MRKMAN ATTORNEY March 6, 19.45. E. WORKMAN INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 .E'SAU NORKMAN IN VENTOR A TTORNEY March 6, 1945. woRKMAN 2,370,902

INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 11v VENTOR EsA U WORK AN A TTORNE Y I Patented. Mar. 6, 1945 UNITED STATE-S PATENT i OFFICE a INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Esau Workman, Corcoran, Calif.

A Application May 22, 1944, Serial No. 536,813

4 Claims. 31. 123-52) This invention relates to an internal COIIlbllS-i tion engine. "Among the objects of the invention are to provide a more efficient internal combustion engine construction preferably of the opposed piston type; to provide a more eflicient power transmitting means between thepistons f the engine and the power delivery shaft; to providea camtype crank means between the source of power and the delivery end of said power.

YA further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a power transmission means of a compact, simplified character, which is particularly well adapted to cooperate with thepistons of an internal combustion engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved engine-driven means, including a rotatable star-shaped cam, to operate the intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine. i j Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what is at present deemed to bee. preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a front view of a cylinder type engine equipped with the power transmission means provided by the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken H on line 22 of Fig, 1.

Fig; 3 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 ofFig. 3. I

, Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line6--6 of Fig. 5. "Fig. 7 is a diagrammatical view of the shaped power transmission means. I mg. Bis a diagrammatical view of the intake and exhaust valve operating means. i v Referring in detail to the drawings, the engine construction comprises a bed plate I to each end portion of which is boltedan upright stand are 2,said standard affording a mounting means for two cylinders 3 and 4 having on their ends cylinder heads 5 and 6. Said heads are provided with conventional intake manifolds leading from a carburetor, not shown, and conventional exhaust manifolds are also provided for the products of combustion. Spark plugs are provided in the cylinder heads within the usual electrical Starcircuit leading to distributor, generator and battery, with the usual (conventional) accessories required for the operation of cooling, oiling, etc.

of the invention illustrated by way of example in the drawings, in each of the above mentioned engine cylinders are two opposed piston heads, namely, an upper piston head I and a lower piston head 8, the piston headsof each pair being rigidly connected together by means of a rod 9. The engine cylinders 3 and 4 are arranged parallel to each other and are sufficiently spaced apart to receive between them certainparts presently to be described. Each of said cylinders is furnished along its mid-length portion with a longitudinal slot H formed in the side of the cylinder'which is directed toward its mate.

' !3, each end of which carries a' pivot stud "I4,

said studs projecting from the same side of the bar 13 and each ofthem carrying an anti-friction roller I5. Said slide bar 13 operates between and travels along guides I3a carried by the center enginev cylinders '3 and 4.

In addition to the standard I the base plate 2 carries two other upright standards l6, between and upon which are rotatably supported a'horizontal shaft 17, bearings 18 and 19 being provided for this shaft. One end of said shaft [1 projects beyond the bearing l9 and the space betweenthe engine cylinders 4 and 5. To this end portion of said shaft is welded at Ila or otherwise secured a plate like cam 2| which. is so dimensionedv and positioned that-it at all times bridges the space between the anti-friction rollers l5. Said cam has three radially projecting portions Zia, Zlb and Zlc, which are symmetrically. disposed in relation to each other, which are placed 120 degrees apart and are comprehended within its sinuous peripheral outline, each of said projections having a rounded extremity which adapts it for passing smoothly across the two anti-friction rollers. From another view,- point the cam 2| may be said to have three equal peripheral recesses 2ld, He, and. 21f, which are spaced 120 degrees apartand which are rounded in such amanner that they drive smoothly across the anti-friction, rollers duringthe op' eration of the engine. Said cams may be described as star-shaped plates having rounded extremities between which intervene rounded recesses.

In Figs. 2 and 3 a preferred means s illustrated for operating the intake valves and the exhaust valves 3|. The two means shown Describing further details of the embodiment are identical, therefore adescription of only one I the aforesaid gear 40, the shaft 60 having to of them will be necessary, it being needful only to state that to each cylinder head is attached an inclined guide sleeve 35 within which slides a push rod 31 normally 'held in an extended position by a spring 38.

Describing next the means for operating the push rods 31, near one of the standards 2 there is rigidly supported upon shaft I! a combined spur and bevel gear 40. The beveled portion of this gear meshes at one side with a beveled pinion 4| and at its other side with a beveled pinion 42. The pinion 4| is fixed to a shaft 43 and the pinion 42 is fixed to a shaft 44, these shafts being disposed on opposite sides of and at right angles to the shaft Only the end portions of said shafts 43 and 44 are: shown in Fig. 4, it being understood that these-shafts are rotatably supported in any desired conventional manner. To each of these shafts is fixed a set of cams 50 and (as shown in Fig. 3) said cams are positioned to act upon rollers carried by suitably mounted plungers 52 that cooperate with the rods 31 to I I lower portion of the same standard It is secured I a horizontal bracket 51 which supports a current distributor 58. The generator is operated by a shaft'59, and the distributor 58 is driven by a shaft 80. The bracket 55 carries a bearing 55a for one end of the shaft 59 and the standard l6 carries a bearing 60a for one end of the shaft 60. The'shaft 59 has fixed to it a gear Bl meshed with it a gear 62 also meshing with the gear 40. i

It is understood that two or more engine assemblies hereinbefore described may be assembled around said driving shaft I! at predetermined angles to one another to provide an increased and alternate power flow.

In the operation of the device the rollers I5 travel around the star-shaped cam 2|, said cam being so contoured as to at all times completely fill up the space between said rollers. As the rollers reciprocate they act forcibly upon the cam and cause it to rotate, thereby also rotating the power transmission shaft IT to which the cam is fixed.

It is to be understood that a single power transmission shaft I! may have fixed to it a plurality of the cam driving members 2| and any desired multiple of engine cylinders, and valve timing cams 50, without exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. i

I claim: a

1. In an internal combustion engine having a pair of parallel adjacent spaced apart cylinders each of which contains a piston and is furnished with a longitudinal slot directed toward the other, a cross bar extending through said slots and rigidly connected with said pistons, a guide adjacent to and extending along the slotted portions 2,370,902 A II of said piston cylinders, a member mounted be-' tween and upon said guides and connected with said cross bar to reciprocate with said pistons, spaced apart rollers carried by said member, a power transmission shaft, and a star-shaped cam fixed to said shaft in a position at all times to bridge the space between said rollers and be by them rotated as the pistons reciprocate; I

2. In an internal combustion engine having a pair of parallel adjacent spaced apart cylinders each of which contains a combustion chamber in each of its end portions and an intervening double piston and is furnished with a longitudinal slot directed toward the other, a cross bar extending through said slots and rigidly connected 7 with said pistons, a guide adjacent to and extend-' ing along the slotted portions of said piston cylinders, a member mounted between and upon said guides and connected with said cross bar to recipfocate with said pistons, spaced apart rollers carried by said member, a power transmission shaft, and a star-shaped cam fixedto said shaft in a position at all times to bridge the space between said rollers and be by them rotated as I rollers carried by said members, a power'trans-f mission shaft, and star-shaped cams fixed to-said shaft in a positionat all times to bridge the space between said rollers and be by them rotated as the pistons reciprocate, thereby to drive a single power transmission shaft from a plurality of pairs of engine cylinders.-

4. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of pairs of parallel, adjacently spaced apart cylinders, each cylinder of said pairs containing a combustion chamber in each of its end portions and an intervening double piston and having a longitudinal slot, the slot of one cylinder of each pairbeing directed toward that of the other piston of each pair, a cross bar extending through the slots of each pair of pistons and rigidly con- I nected with such pistons, guides adjacent to and extending along the slotted portions of said piston cylinders, members mounted between and on said guides and connected with said cross barstoretimes to bridge the space between aforesaid anti! friction members, thereby to drive a single power transmission 'shaft from .a plurality of engine;

cylinders. I i ESAU WORKMAN. 

